Case Against Roger

To the Editor:

"Toussaint Comes Out Swinging," was your Oct. 6 headline, but let me respond.

Roger feels he can satisfy our members' needs if given a third term. Hasn't he done enough damage? Let's not forget the 0-, 3-percent, 3-percent contract of 2002. He stated, "We should understand the climate we were in." What about the climate we were in for 2005 with over a billion-dollar surplus?

He also states, "We have to differentiate between candidates who worked for the labor movement and those who serve their own personal agendas." This coming from a man who cashed in five weeks' vacation. I suppose he never had a day off. What member from any division can cash in five weeks' vacation?

He says his administration has consistently tried to put transit workers on the high road. Hence the 1.5-percent "Toussaint Tax," and let's not forget the moving of the once-proud Dec. 15 contract date.

He states that he appeals to our intelligence instead of anger, yet 75 percent of his own house has been fired. By this I mean three out of four Division Chairs from his own department, Maintenance of Way. The Division Chair from Structures who wasn't fired can't save 130 of his own skilled tradesmen from working out of the title they were hired under.

Ed Watt said on NY1 that "we're a progressive union. We're not re-voting the contract." Lie! Roger said "No Contract, No Work." Lie! "A Deadline is a Deadline." Lie! Roger says that "honoring the majority vote is democracy." Then why didn't he when the majority voted down the "Toussaint Tax?"

As long as Roger pays enough members on the executive board, then he controls the E-Board. If he is not a dictator, then tell the members who bought our building?

I don't think it was the "political establishment of this town" that tried to break the union. He is single-handedly dismantling this once-proud union.

On the matter of "race and speaking with an accent," it wasn't an issue when getting elected and getting re-elected. Why is it an issue now?

THOMAS CREEGAN, Vice Chairman, Power Distribution, TWU Local 100